Ex-sandalwood smuggler turned bike thief caught in Bengaluru with 40 stolen two-wheelers

Bengaluru: A former Red Sanders smuggler who turned to two-wheeler thefts after being cornered by the Anti-Smuggling Task Force has been arrested by Yelahanka police, bringing an end to a two-year-long vehicle lifting spree across Bengaluru and parts of Andhra Pradesh.

Ravi Kumar Naik, 45, a resident of Kadiri in Andhra Pradesh’s Sri Sathya Sai district, was caught with 40 stolen vehicles worth over Rs300,000.

Naik, who once operated in the high-risk world of sandalwood smuggling, switched tactics in 2015 after increased crackdowns by the Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF).

By 2022, he had fully reinvented himself as a daytime two-wheeler thief — targeting unlocked bikes and scooters in residential neighborhoods, parking lots, and near commercial zones across Bengaluru and Chikkaballapura.

The breakthrough came after a two-wheeler theft was reported in Maruthi Nagar, Yelahanka. The victim had left the bike parked outside his home and returned just 10 minutes later to find it gone.

Acting swiftly, Inspector M.L. Krishnamurthy formed a team that reviewed CCTV footage in the area, capturing a clear image of the thief riding away. Information from local informants soon identified the culprit as Ravi Kumar Naik.

On June 24, police tracked him down to Bagalur Cross — just hours after he had stolen another vehicle.

A second stolen bike was also found abandoned near Yelahanka railway station the same day. Naik was taken into 12-day police custody, during which he confessed to a series of thefts.

According to police, Naik preferred low-risk, easy targets. He stole only during daylight hours, looking for unlocked two-wheelers or those parked carelessly. His technique was simple but effective: break the handle lock or bypass the ignition using direct wiring, then flee. He often pushed the bike to a quiet spot before starting it up to avoid drawing attention.

Naik admitted to stealing bikes from across the city — including KR Puram, Hoskote, Hebbagodi, Kodigehalli, Amruthahalli, Avalahalli, and Devanahalli — and transporting them to rural areas in Andhra Pradesh for resale.

He sold 11 bikes without documents for as little as ₹5,000 to ₹15,000, mostly to unsuspecting rural buyers. The remaining 27 vehicles were parked at secret locations in Andhra Pradesh, ready for sale.

Between June 27 and July 3, Bengaluru police recovered all 40 bikes — including the 11 sold units. With his arrest, police have cracked at least four vehicle theft cases registered across ten police stations in Karnataka.

What shocked investigators was Naik’s double life. His wife is a practicing dentist in Kadiri, and the family was seemingly stable. Yet Naik chose a life of crime to fund a lifestyle that included frequent travel, new gadgets, and personal luxuries.

“This man had no gang, no handlers. He worked alone, relying on experience and street smarts,” said Inspector Krishnamurthy. “He exploited the city’s crowded, unmonitored parking spaces and used minimal tools to avoid suspicion.”

Efforts are ongoing to trace the owners of the remaining 11 vehicles and investigate whether the buyers of the stolen bikes were aware of their origin.

The case is a sobering reminder that even lone criminals — when determined, disciplined, and mobile — can wreak havoc across city and state lines, blending into the urban crowd while quietly fuelling a black market economy on two wheels.